USDA certifies Cresset architectural form release agent

Cresset Chemical Co. has attained U.S. Department of Agriculture Biobased Product certification for its Crete-Lease Bio-Tru ALL-Xtra with Poly-Release agent, becoming one of the first concrete-grade products to carry such labeling. Bio-Tru ALL-Xtra is a chemically active, non-staining, product that breaks cleanly from all form types and delivers high-impact visual results for architectural surfaces.

“For the past 70 years, the chemists at Cresset have developed products that are effective for the concrete industry and safe for the environment. Our entire company is proud to be recognized by the USDA’s BioPreferred program and to do our part to help protect the environment,” says Cresset President Mike Baty.

The main difference between Bio-Tru ALL-Xtra and other Cresset Crete-Lease products is its vegetable-based formulation and very low volatile organic compound rating, he adds. The national maximum allowable level of VOCs for concrete form release agents is 450 grams per liter. Many states and municipalities have even stricter standards; southern California agencies, for example, set a 100 g/L limit. Bio-Tru ALL-Xtra has a VOC rating of 5 g/L, making it one of the most environmentally-friendly architectural form release agents to date, Cresset contends.

Contractors working on federally funded construction projects are required to use USDA BioPreferred products. “Federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and Presidential Executive Orders direct that all federal agencies purchase bio-based products in categories identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” according to USDA, which includes “Concrete & Asphalt Release Fluids” among 97 BioPreferred categories. Bio-Tru ALL-Xtra is now listed in the USDA BioPreferred Catalog online at www.biopreferred.gov, qualifying it for purchase by federal and state agencies. Cresset also has government approval to display the USDA Biopreferred label.

The USDA Certified Bio-based Product Label provides users with verification that Bio-Tru ALL-Xtra has been third-party tested at independent laboratories and meets or exceeds the USDA minimum bio-based content requirements—thereby qualifying for federal procurement considerations. Cresset formulated Crete-Lease Bio-Tru ALL-Xtra to be part of its expanding “green” technology line of chemical products, along side such other eco-friendly products as Platinum 880, 880 VOC Xtra and Crete-Lease 20 VOC Xtra. — Cresset Chemical, Weston, Ohio, 800/367-2020; www.cresset.com

Along with small packaging options, the product is available in 55-gal. drum and 275-gal. MegaPaks.

BIOPREFERRED PROGRAM

Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the goal of the BioPreferred program is to increase the purchase and use of bio-based products. The program was created by the 2002 Farm Bill and reauthorized and expanded as part of the Agricultural Act (2014 Farm Bill). Its purpose is to spur economic development, create new jobs and provide new markets for farm commodities. The increased development, purchase, and use of bio-based products, USDA contends, reduces the nation’s reliance on petroleum; increases the use of renewable agricultural resources; and, contributes to reducing adverse environmental and health impacts.

The agency defines bio-based products as derived from plants and other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials and providing an alternative to conventional petroleum-derived products. Federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and Presidential Executive Orders direct that all federal agencies purchase bio-based products in USDA-identified categories. — www.biopreferred.gov

Proctor & Gamble promotes purclean, with 65 percent content recognized under USDA BioPreferred criteria, as the first bio-based liquid laundry detergent exhibiting the cleaning power of its signature Tide series.